The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-08-19
ABOUT eAlky HORSES.
How Animate Subject 20 Thls Vice Shs010
Re Diseiplinsd and Managed.

now Ah10oIo S009ecS % 10D VICE Soo0b0
Re Disciplined and Managed.
Balky horses are made by bad drivers
and poor training. and bad drivers very
often obliterate in few days years Of
good training. There are several rea-
sons why horse balks and refuses to
pull. Some no doubt are actuated BY
vice; determination not to pull; some
do not understand their work; some
are easily discouraged. and when de-
feated in the first attempt sullenly re
fuse to try any longer; but most Of
them have their ideas turned from theif
work by the cruel beating they receive.
and as horse can only think Of one
thing at time they are occupied in
rescnting and resisting the punishment
they are receiving.
The training of q horse should b
such As to avoid danger of this fault.
He should be taught to pull steadily
by loading single cart or wagon
gradually until his whole strength is
taxed to draw it This steadiness in
drawing is the great point in horse
training. and when it becomes fixed
upon the animal. and not before. it
should be trained to draw double. In
drawing double the most important
point is the starting. A good driver
never overloads his team. and never
does or never should tax them beyond
their strength. After a sufficient
training. and ability and readiness
to start at the word are acquired. the
wagon should be loaded and the load
gradually increased up to the power of
the horses. A good part of the train
ing should be devoted to drawing up
hill and over short, sharp ascents; to
stopping on the road with load and
starting; but team should never be
stopped in the middle of sharp ascent
or a sharp hill. but always on q part of
the ground where an easy start again
can be made. In all this training the
driver should study thoughtfully the
consequences Of every move and avoid
faults and mistakes which will make
useless long series Of former lessons.
Training should be carried ON step
by step. n one would pile up . single
column Of bricks with care, 30 as to
place each succeeding one to make the
column more stable and evenly bal
anced. and to avoid misplacing any 50
that it will destroy the equilibrium and
bring the whole structure to the
ground. The trainer should know his
business, or at least understand what
to accomplish and how to reach the
ends in view, and then patiently and
with perfect self-control gradually
teach his horses how to do the work
required of them. If man can not
control himself. and has not patience
sufficient to prevent loss of temper and
judgment. and is led to do things which
he knows will undo much of his former
work and neutralize large part of the
animate education, how can he expect
to control the will of an animal which
has no reason to guide it, and can only
connect one thing with another in a
very imperfect way and in the narrow
est limitsL
When . horse has been properly
trained and is at steady work the driv-
ing should still be a continuous educa-
ton. We have seen horses who knew
their work better than their drivers
and riders. and would choose the best
road in spite of efforts to force them
otherwise. A well trained mountain
saddle horse needs no control by the
bit; he will carry his rider over rough
roads, rocky fords. precipitous trails.
loose rocks, through bngs. thickets and
windfalls much better than the rider
can guide him. He will invariably-as
4 deer or . mountain sheep will do
choose the best footing and the easiest
and safest route. So, too, on q billy
road the team will take the longest
turns. as if knowing instinctively that
n winding path up an incline is
the easiest. All this natural and
acquired knowledge should be most
carefully cultivated and the willing
horse permitted to do his work without
urging with the whip rs long as doing
his best. The need for the whip is oc-
casioned by WEAKNESS and some times
by laziness rather than by unwilling
ness to work. Laziness is fault Of
training and of the gradual falling into
the slow. careless movement by horses
constitutionally deficient in spirit and
ambition. and encouraged by an equal
~ lazy and careless driver. A whip
should never be used for punishment.
Its proper use is as a stimulant, gently
applied at first to urged the horse to do
his best. A touch with it is sufficient
for . spirited. well trained horse. and
Is to be used rs an admonition to the
animal to quicken his pace. and to keep
up abreast Of the mate.
The management of balky horse
should be gentle. patient and firm.
When a horse is known to be subject to
this vice it is a mistake to use him as
though he were true and steady. He
should be put under course of train
ing and his education begun over again.
This is not difficult with q horse. A
horse that is 3 confirmed baker should
be worked in a single wagon as a be-
ginning. and with this wagon taken on
smooth. level roads, up easy ascents,
and then over hills and difficult places;
stopped and started frequently, and
when any tagging or disposition to
stop is perceived he should be en-
couraged by q word and a light
touch of the whip II the horse balks
and refuses to 60 on he should